Preface

This guide to the archival holdings of leading companies in the electrical, electronics, and computer industries is based on a survey performed in the spring and summer of 1994 as one part of a multi-year project of the IEEE-Rutgers Center for the History of Electrical Engineering. Entitled Power and Control, this project aimsto develop resources for the study and understanding of the history of electrical technology. In addition to this guide to corporate archives, we will also produce a three-volume history of electrical technology from its origins in the mid-19th century to the present day, and expand and diversify the Center for the History of Electrical Engineering’s already extensive international collection of oral history interviews of leaders in the electrical, electronics, and computer fields.

The Center has previously published directories of archives, manuscript collections, and oral histories relating to the history of electrical technology held by U.S. repositories1. Although much of the development of electrical technology has been accomplished by the industrial sector, we were concerned that archival materials documenting this sector’s involvement may not have been placed in publicly accessible repositories, or may not have been preserved at all. We saw a need to determine the extent of archival preservation that currently exists within the electrical industries and to give researchers an introductory guide to these resources. This project was undertaken with those goals in mind.

After identifying leading companies in a broadly defined range of relevant industries by using standard business reference sources and IEEE technical society liaisons, we contacted 672 companies, 177 of which were located outside the United States. Some companies had many subsidiaries and divisions involved in electrical engineering. In these cases we generally surveyed only the parent company. In some cases, diversified companies were not generally in an electrical business, but some of their subsidiaries were. In those cases we only surveyed the relevant subsidiaries. For many of the companies outside the United States, we surveyed both the parent company and the main U.S. subsidiary. We received 133 completed surveys, of which 24 were from companies located outside the United States.

Each company profile here was compiled from the information supplied on the returned survey. Researchers should be aware that these profiles represent only a "snapshot" of the company's archival holdings. In the tumultuous world of modern business, corporate structure regularly changes. This applies as well to corporate archives, which may experience radical change within a short period of time. In all cases, we strongly recommend that the researcher contact the company before visiting, to verify the access policy and contents of the archives.

We have made an effort in this report to distinguish companies with formal archives from those without, based on identification as given on the survey responses. But it is difficult to maintain this distinction with accuracy. Record centers typically do have different retention schedules and filing procedures than formal archives. A researcher should not assume that any particular company maintains its archives in a professionally approved manner just because it has indicated on our survey that it has a formal archives. Likewise, it should not be assumed that companies that have a records center instead of a formal archives do not necessarily maintain their records in an archival system. We have thus included here all cases where companies indicated that all or some of the records in their retention centers may be available to outside researchers.

Researchers will note that we have not supplied the dates or ranges of a company's records. There is such great variability of methods of archives management and disposition schedules found across companies that we believe dates or ranges may therefore be misleading indicators of a company's actual holdings. We have, however, provided the date of the company's founding, which gives some indication as to possible range. Many of the companies profiled here, especially the utility companies, have developed into their present structure only after many mergers and acquisitions. During such upheavals, records may have been destroyed, moved, merged, maintained as separate collections, or some combination of these outcomes, and it is possible that current staff will not have information about the fate of earlier records. The exact range of a particular company's holdings may therefore be quite extensive or, conversely, quite limited. Researchers are thus urged to contact the company first to determine the extent of its records holdings and the pertinence of the records to particular research projects.

Each company profile comprises a number of fields:

Company Name: The complete legal name of the company.

City, State, Country: The location of the company's headquarters. This is not necessarily the place of its archives or records repository.

Industry: Only that portion of a company's business that pertains to electrical and electronics engineering is indexed. Broad categories are used.

Company Founding: The date of the company's founding as provided on the survey. In some cases, we indicate the original name of the company and dates of name changes and/or mergers.

Description: A general description of the company's records holdings as taken from the survey response and from any additional material supplied by the company. For companies that indicated on the survey that they do have an archives, we begin each description with "Archives include.." In all other cases, we indicate that a formal archives does not exist, but we give a description of its records holdings as listed on the returned survey.

Other Information: Additional information concerning the company or its records, such as the location of a company museum, or information provided about future changes planned for company records.

Corporate History: Following information provided on returned survey forms and from follow-up bibliographic research, we indicate if a corporate history has been written. Bibliographic information is given as provided on the survey or found in the RLIN database. In many cases, these histories were company sponsored and their availability is limited. Researchers should contact the company for more information. While sponsored corporate histories vary widely in format, quality, and objective, they are often a useful and even unique source of information. We have not included complete bibliographies for those few companies that have received extensive attention from outside researchers.

Contact (Name, Title, Phone Number, Address): In some cases, a company did not supply a contact's title or phone number. We provided whatever information was contained on the survey. Where possible, we have supplied fax numbers for non-U.S. companies.

Access: Two general categories are used, "No access" or "With permission." We used "No access" only if a company specifically stated on the survey that it had such a policy. In all other cases, including those where the company indicated that it had no access policy at all, we used "With permission." It is incumbent on the researcher to contact the company to determine the exact nature of its access policy. No company is likely to give unrestricted access.

It is likely that many of the corporate records reported here have not previously been studied by historians. The researcher who is granted permission to examine a particular company’s records may be the first to have considered and appraised the historical value of those materials. We urge, then, that the research act as both an advocate to the company for the enduring value of the records as well as a conservator, who will leave the materials in as organized and preserved manner as possible for the next historian. Moreover, when approaching prospective research sites and dealing with corporate archivists and records managers, the researcher would do well to keep in mind the nature of commercial workplaces. Corporate archives are likely to have many more restrictions on access and conditions of use than are typically encountered in scholarly facilities, and are unlikely to provide researchers with comparable support services.

This guide was researched and prepared by the staff of the IEEE Center for this History of Electrical Engineering with the assistance of consulting archivist Bruce Bruemmer. John Riddle served as project archivist, designing the project and leading its execution under the direction of Jill Anderson and Andrew Goldstein. Special thanks are due to archivist Anne Millbrooke for her assistance with matters great and small. This guide, an aspect of the Center’s Power and Control project, was supported by a grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation. Other project supporters include the IEEE Foundation, IEEE Life Member Fund, IEEE Foundation Friends Fund, and the AT&T Foundation.

No formal archives. Records kept in records center include financial and accounting information, contracts, research and development materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, company journal and newspaper, and product specifications. Videos, computer records, and telephony equipment also included.

AG Communications is a joint venture of GTE and AT&T. Many records retained by the Phoenix corporate library pertain to GTE.

Corporate History: The History of GTE: The Evolution of One of America's Great Corporations, Thomas E. McCarthy, (1990, 224 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Many records have been transferred to the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie. Company retains records of legal, business, or historical value to the company. These include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, annual reports, contracts, patents, and facility blueprints. Photographs, videos, films, audio tapes, and computer records also included.

Archives include correspondence, annual reports, sales and marketing materials, research and development materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, product specifications, and memorabilia, including early instruments. Photographs, videos, films, and audio tapes also included. The Beckman Heritage Center was opened in March, 1993.

Corporate History: Telephone History, London, Ontario, 1880-1972, E. Geraghty, (1972, 67 pp., illus.); The Introduction of Bell’s Telephone in London, Ontario: An Early History of the Telephone and of the Developments which Led to the Establishment of Telephone Service in London, Ontario, Canada, 1875-1880, Walter Keyser, (1951, 29 pp.); The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, Its Origin, Administration, and Achievements, Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission, (1928, 39 pp.); Hydro-Electric Development in Ontario: A History of Waterpower Administration under the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, E.B. Biggar, (1920, 202 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Some pre-1945 records given to Baker Library, Harvard Business School. Company retains some historically relevant materials in its records center. These include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, day files of senior management, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, patents, sales and marketing information, research and development materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, product specifications, facility blueprints, memorabilia, company newspaper, and published articles by employees. Photographs, videos, films, audio tapes, computer records, and system drawings on linen also included.

Corporate History: Corporate history prepared by David Sicilia of the Winthrop Group (1986, 107 pp.) Available for review. See also The Boston Edison Story, 1886-1951: 65 Years of Service, James Toner, (1951, 32 pp., illus.); A War-Time Record: An Illustrated Account of the War-time Activities of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston During the Great World War, 1914-1918, (1922, 108 pp., plates)

Archives of British Columbia Electric Railway Company, predecessor company of British Columbia Hydro are located at the University of British Columbia. Contact George Brandak, Manuscripts Curator, University of British Columbia, 1956 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (604) 822-2232.

A portion of the collection is exhibited at a small museum located in the company's 1910 steam plant. The plant building also serves as the headquarters of the company's Old Timers Historical Committee.

Corporate History: Various formats of a corporate history are available for review; contact Central Maine Power Company for further information.

Corporate History: The Cactus Patch and How it Grew examines the history of the Central & Southwest system including Central Power and Light Company, (1989, illus.) See also Working for a Bright Tomorrow, 75th anniversary commemorative brochure.

Corporate History: A corporate history chronicling the years 1880-1959 is available for review. See also “The Queen City of the West” During 110 Years: A Century and Ten Years of Service by the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, 1841-1951, Walter Beckjord, (1951, 36 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Records kept at off-site storage facility include minutes of executive board and audit and finance committee meetings, and regulations and by-laws. Other records include annual and quarterly reports, patents (only through expiration dates), proxy statements, documents relating to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, articles of incorporation and amendments, and speeches by senior managers.

Corporate History: Force of Energy: A Business History of the Detroit Edison Company, Raymond C. Miller, (1971, 363 pp., illus.); Kilowatts at Work: A History of the Detroit Edison Company, Raymond C. Miller, (1957, 467 pp., illus.); Twenty-Five Years: An Illustrated History of the Detroit Edison Company from 1903 to 1928, (1928, 77 pp., illus.); A History of Electric Service in Detroit, William Henry Lane, (1927, 86 pp., illus.)

E

Archives include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, annual reports, contracts, patents, sales and marketing materials, and research and development materials. Photographs and videos also included.

Archives are decentralized. Corporate business library holds planning materials for past 35 years. Legal department retains legal and patent archives. There is a government proposal archive. Divisions that operate bases or labs for the U.S. government also retain archival materials. Records at the corporate headquarters generally include minutes of executive board meetings, financial records, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, patents, facility blueprints, and memorabilia. Additional archival material is in storage.

Corporate History: Compiled every ten years, in Japanese, by corporate history task force. Personal histories, in English, written by past chairman Taiyu Kobayahi and present chairman Takuma Yamamoto. Available upon request.

G

Archives include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, patents, sales and marketing materials, research and development materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, product specifications, facility blueprints, and memorabilia. The archives are maintained by the Hall of History Foundation, a non-profit organization in Schenectady, New York. GE also retains records at both the corporate and local level.

Corporate History: “His Master’s Voice” in America: Ninety Years of Communications Pioneering and Progress: Victor Talking Machine Company, Radio Corporation of America, General Electric Company, Frank O. Barnum, (1991, 385 pp., illus.); A Century of Progress: The General Electric Story, published by the Hall of History Foundation, (1981, 107 pp.); The General Electric Story: A Photo History, (1976-, 3 v., illus.)

Corporate History: Let Us Reason Together: A History of Labor Relations of the Georgia Power Company, W. Hubert Joiner, (1979, 259 pp.); History of Georgia Power Company, 1855-1956, Wade H. Wright, (1957, 386 pp., illus., out of print); Georgia and the Georgia Power Company: A Century of Free Enterprise, Harlee Branch, (1957, 32 pp., illus.)

Corporate History: Public Relations Department has written illustrated histories at 10, 20, and 25 year anniversaries. Contact company for more information. See also A Revolution in Progress: A History of Intel to Date, Mimi Real, (1984, 50 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Records retained in various sections of the company include annual reports, patents, research and development materials, reports on government funded research, photographs, and films.

Corporate History: Corporate history written by Phil Cantelon, 600 pp., illus. Available for review from company archives. The History of MCI, 1968-1988: The Early Years, Philip L. Cantelon, (1993, 719 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Records maintained by company include financial and accounting records, contracts, technical manuals, product specifications, and memorabilia. Photographs and computer records also included.

No formal archives. Records retained as part of records management program include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, sales and marketing materials, facility blueprints, oral histories, minutes of predecessor companies, ledgers, and memorabilia. Photographs, videos, and audio tapes also included. Company has conducted an oral history program for several years, interviewing and taping former corporate employees and officers.

Corporate History: A Priceless Heritage: The Story of the Mississippi Power Company, Chester Morgan and Donald M. Dana, Jr., (1993); Electric Power and People Power: The Story of the Mississippi Power Company, A.J. Watson, Jr., (1969, 24 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Records maintained in storage include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, and facility blueprints. Photographs, films, and computer records also included. A large number of records from numerous predecessor companies have been donated to the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana.

Archives maintained in company museum and library include correspondence and regulatory information. Norsk Telemuseum of Norwegian Telecom also has collection of photographs, videos, films, and artifacts. After 25 years, documents are delivered to the National or Regional archives as stated by regulation.

Corporate History: NYNEX: The Staley Years (1984-1988), R. Steele; NYNEX in a New Age, Delbert C. Staley, (1988, 32 pp., illus.); History of the Organization Structure of New York Telephone, J.E. Hennessy.

Contact: www.verizon.com

Access: No outside access

O

Archives include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, patents, research and development materials, and catalogues and price lists. Photographs and videos also included. Company also maintains a small scale Chronicle Gallery for archival collection.

Historical Archives of the Olivetti Group include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting reports, day files of senior management, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, patents, research and development materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, memorabilia, books written or printed by Olivetti for education, art exhibits and other occasions, and company newspapers.

Corporate History: The People's Power: The History of Ontario Hydro, Merrill Denison, (1960, McClelland & Stewart Ltd.); Hydro-Electric Development in Ontario: A History of Water-Power Administration under the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, E.B. Biggar, (1920).

Founded: 1881--Pacific Bell; 1984--Pacific Telesis (the holding company of the local Bell operating company, Pacific Bell)

Pacific Telesis retains records that were collected specifically for a corporate history. Records of Pacific Bell are maintained by a nationwide (former) Bell System organization, the Telephone Pioneers. The Pacific Telesis records include minutes of executive board meetings, day files of senior management, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, research and development materials, technical manuals, facility blueprints, and memorabilia.

Corporate History: A History of Telesis, Eric Abrahamson, (1994). Restricted for internal use only.

Corporate History: Several company histories have been written. Contact Portland General Electric for further information. See also Electrifying Eden: Portland General Electric, 1889-1965, Craig Wollner, (1990, 325 pp., illus.); Oregon: Its Resources, Its People, and Its Future!, James Henry Polhemus, (1951, 32 pp., illus.)

No formal archives. Records maintained by various departments include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, photographs, and memorabilia. Papers, books, and files currently being collected for company centennial in 1996.

Corporate History: Corporate history currently being written to commemorate company's centennial celebration. See also 50 Years in Washington, 1896-1946, (1946, illus.)

Archives include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, day files of senior management, correspondence, annual reports, regulatory information, contracts, sales and marketing materials, research and development materials, facility blueprints, and memorabilia. Photographs and computer records also included.

Corporate History: Corporate history written in 1975, 80 pp., illus. Available for review. See also “Amber Forever!:” Electricity on the Merrimack in New Hampshire, Avery R. Schiller, (1952, 24 pp., illus.)

Contact: Public Service of New Hampshire P.O. Box 330 Manchester, New Hampshire 03105-0330 1-800-662-7764 www.psnh.com/

Access:With permission

Puget Sound Power & Light Company, d/b/a Puget Sound Energy

Bellevue, Washington

Industry: Utility

Founded: 1886

Archives maintained at the University of Washington and Western Washington University, with the latter holding primarily transportation-related materials. Archival materials held by company include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, annual reports, sales and marketing materials, facility blueprints, employee communications, and Puget Sound Electric Journal. Photographs and videos also included. Company has imaged accounting, power supply, and annual reports.

Corporate History: A corporate history was written in the late 1980's. Contact Reynolds and Reynolds for more information. See also Freewheeling: 80 Years of Observations by the Patriarch of Reynolds and Reynolds, Richard H. Grant Jr. and Teri E. Denlinger, (1994, 188 pp.); The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, “A People Company”, Robert Henry Meyer, (1973, 23 pp.)

Contact: South Carolina Electric and Gas Company 1426 Main Street Columbia, South Carolina 29218 1-800-251-7234 www.scana.com/sceg/default.html

Access:With permission

Southwestern Bell Corporation, d/b/a SBC

St. Louis, Missouri

Industry: Telecommunications

Founded: 1890's

No formal archives. Public Relations Department and Corporate Library keep some records including financial and accounting records, correspondence, annual reports, sales and marketing materials, research and development materials, and St. Louis City Directories. Some records and artifacts also kept at Telephone Pioneers of America Museum, 1 Bell Plaza, Dallas, Texas 75265. (214) 464-4359.

Corporate History: Good Connections: A Century of Service by the Men and Women of Southwestern Bell, David G. Park, Jr., (1984, 300 pp.)

No formal archives. Records maintained by company include minutes of executive board meetings, annual reports, contracts, patents, research and development materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, and product specifications.

Corporate History: Corporate history booklet available from Public Relations Department. See also Winning With People: The First 40 Years of Tektronix, Marshall M. Lee, (1986, 323 pp.)

Corporate History: And Work was Made Less. . . : A Brief History of the Texas Electronic Service Company: An Account of the Company’s Origin and Development during a 90-Year Period Beginning in 1885, Vance Gillmore, (1976, 219 pp., illus.); First Sixty Years, R. Johnson; Dallas Power and Light History, M. Kosanke.

No formal archives. Records retained by the company's Historical Materials Research Team include minutes of executive board meetings, financial and accounting records, correspondence, annual reports, sales and marketing materials, catalogues and price lists, technical manuals, and memorabilia. Photographs, videos, films, and audio tapes also included. Apparently many records of predecessor companies were destroyed by 1923 earthquake and the Second World War.

Corporate History: Thirty Years History of the Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., (1983, 1163 pp.) The Tokyo Electric Light Company Limited, a predecessor of Tokyo Electric Power, has also produced a corporate history.

Corporate History: Numerous corporate histories, including Toyota: A History of the First 50 Years, (1988, 522 pp., illus.); Toyota: Fifty Years in Motion: An Autobiography, Eiji Toyota, (1987, 170 pp., illus.)

Corporate History: The Kansas Power and Light Company: Through Fifty Years to the Electric Company, Balfour S. Jeffrey, (1975, 29 pp.); KPL in Kansas: A History of the Kansas Power and Light Company, Edward G. Nelson, (1964, 220 pp.)